Side discharging containers and vehicles



Oct. 22, 1963 J. E. BLONSKY SIDE DISCHARGING CONTAINERS AND VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24, 1962 $3 JR 7 .f.\

INVENTOR.

m ar fl wm 0 J% Oct. 22, 1963 J. E. BLONSKY 3,107,802

SIDE DISCHARGING CONTAINERS AND VEHICLES- Filed May 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,167,802 SEE DISCHARGING CONTAINERS AND VEHICLES Joseph E. Bionsky, Summer-ville, S.C., assignor to West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, New York, N.Y.,

a corporation of Delaware Filed May 2.4, 1962, Ser. No. 197,450 9 Claims. (Cl. 214-515) This invention relates to containers having safe and novel load-retaining and rapid side-discharging capabilities. More specifically, this invention concerns trucks, trailers, railway cars, and the like carrying fixed or removable containers =for materials capable at discharge by dumping. Particular embodiments preferred for this invention are pulpwood log trucks carrying removable sidedischarging pulpwood log pallets and trucks carrying sidedischarging pulpwood chip containers.

In a typical large Southern kraft paper mill, 2,300 cords per day of pine and hardwood raw materials are usually received for processing into pulp, paper, linerboard, and related products. Of this total input, 45 0 cords of pulpwood logs arrive daily by truck and 650 cords come as chips, principally by rail, although trucks are usually needed for delivery to the railroad. Since trucks usually make two trips per day, depending principally upon the hauling distance, and carry about 4 /2 cords per trip, there are 100 truck trips per day which are required for supplying the mill with raw material in the form of round logs alone. The time required in a w-oo'dyard under present eflicient operating conditions is about 30 minutes for turn-around time, which means time needed for traversing the Woodyard, queuing up for unloading, and the unloading operation itself. If turn-around time can be cut in half, 8,750 hours per year of 350 days can be saved in a single mill. Economic incentive exists, therefore, to encourage more rapid unloading of delivered pulpwood, whether as round logs or as chips, and additional cost savings of considerable magnitude are possible if manual labor can be substantially eliminated in unloading the trucks. Perhaps the most important area of utility for this invention, however, is increased safety in unloading.

The load-supporting pulpwood log pallet having these desirable safe side-unloading features is typically combined with a standard, steel-bed, S-ton truck that is preferably much-equipped. The pallet when used in this combination has the following capabilities: (a) it can be loaded when resting on the ground 'or when otherwise detached from a truck body, (b) it can be easily and quickly mounted on a truck bed, as by a boom loader or a truckmounted winch, (c) its log cargo can be safely contained during highway travel, and (d) by the operators removal of a safety retaining chain and a cotter pin and delivery of a sharp blow when standing on the side of the container opposite to the discharge side, its pulpwood logs can be safely and simply discharged. This pulpwood log pallet is most efficiently utilized when mounted on a truck which is driven onto a specially-constructed inclined unloading ramp whereby the pulpwood logs are discharged from one side of the pallet by falling and rolling onto a conveyor with a of hand labor and in a rapid, safe manner. An angle of incline, descending across the roadbed toward the conveyor, of approximately 9 has been established as satisfactory for this unloading ramp to obtain complete discharge of a fiat-bottomed pallet holding pulpwood logs.

The invention may be readily understood by reference to the drawings representing a particular embodiment hereinbefore described.

FIGURE 1 is an isometric sketch of a pulpwood log pallet.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section through 2--2 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged isometric sketch of the re lease and latching structure with the latching arrangement in expanded relation to the pallet.

The pulpwood log pallet, described for clarity as a coacting member of a pulpwood log truck, comprises, as illustrated in FIGURE 1:

(a) substantially horizontal runners 22 aligned parallel with the fore-and-aft axis of the truck when the pallet is mounted upon the truck;

(b) substantially horizontal log-supporting bed members, mounted athwart the for end-aft aXis of the truck, comprising pipe mernJb-crs 20 rigidly attached perpendicularly to and above the parallel runners 22, log-contacting angle iron members 21 rigidly attached to and above the pipe members 29' alongtheir entire lengths, and side hinge plates 25 rigidly attached to both pipe members 20 and angle iron members 21 at the discharge :side Olf the pallet and projecting beyond said pipe members 20 and angle iron members 21 to form parallel metal leaves at the end of each pipe member 20;

(c) upright log-retaining side members, which are rigidly fastened to the horizontal bed members 20 and 21 and strengthened by gussets 14-, comprising upright pipe members '11 and connecting pipe members 12 and 13;

(d) discharge side members, which are hingeably fastened to the horizontal bed members 20 and 21 with hinge pins 24, through the metal leaves formed by the projecting side hinge plates 25, comprising upright pipe members 30 and connecting pipe member 31;

(e) a slidable ram bar 45, mounted horizontally and substantially centrally beneath the bottom stratum of loaded logs, which is slideably engaged by guide plates 47 and passes through openings in these plates, one end 46 of the ram bar 45 being reinforced and accessible from the side of the truck opposite to the discharge side, as shown in FIGURE 2, and the entire ram bar 4-5 being protected from the impact of moving logs, during loading and discharging operations, by the ram guard 48;

(f) pivotable trip drawbars 53 pivotably attached at one end by hinge pin 52 to the ram bar 45 and aligned substantially perpendicularly thereto at the opposite end of the ram bar 45 from the reinforced end 46, as shown in FIGURE 3, and pivotably attached by bolts 55- and tabs 54 to side lunge plates 25 on the inner sides of the log-supporting bed members while slideably passing through wide openings 62 in the side hinge plates 25, the free ends 60 or the trip drawbars 53 protruding beyond the plates 25 and being sl-ideably protected from upward pressures by bracing plates 61 which are rigidly attached to the hinge plates 25 on the outer sides of the log-supporting bed members, as shown in FIGURES l and 3;

(g) hinged link locking fingers 7t} pivotably engaged by finger pins 69 inserted into holes 68 in finger holders 67 which are rigidly attached, as by Welding, to each outer side hinge plate 25 at position 65, as shown in FIG- URE 3;

(h) shoulder catchments 86 rigidly attached to the upright pipe members 3%, at positions facing to the discharge side of the pallet and a substantial distance above the side hinge plates 25;

(i) chains 79, or other flexible holding means of high tensile strength, that encircle the upright pipe members 30 above the shoulder catchments 86 when the discharge side members are in upright position, these chains 79 being attached at one end to chain anchor tabs 80, which are rigidly fastened to the side hinge plates 25 on the inner sides of the log-supporting bed members, and being attached at the other end to terminal links 78 having holes 77 through which the hinged link locking fingers 70 penetrate, thereby releasably holding the chains 79 when the locking fingers 70 are beneath and releasably engaged by the protruding ends 66' of the respectively coacting trip drawbars 53. g

The open pallet framework that is suitable for logretaining usesmay be changed into a closed-sides bin container, simply by attaching steel, plywood, or fiberglas sheets, for instance, to the inner pants of the pallet frame. Furthermore, construction methods may be varied in other Ways, the principal requirements being the use of a plurality of fixed, upright sides, a bottom surface, and at least one hinged discharge side having outside shoulder catchments '86 to form a selectively closed container. Construction of the bottom surface may also be varied if sufiicient depth is available to protect the ram and trip. drawbars and if a bottom border surface on the sides adjacent to the discharge side is provided to support attachment of chain anchor tabs 80, finger holders 67, and wide openings 62 therein. The seams along the inner edges may be sealed except along the three discharge edges. A top closure sheet may also be added, preferably with a filling porthole. In this form, a vehicle carrying one or more side-discharge bin containers, which may either be fixed or removable, is eminently suitable for transportation and discharge of pulpwood chips, bark, wheat, corn, and other agricultural products, coal, mineral ores, and earth, as in construction projects. Individual bin containers, resting on runners, may be winched aboard the truck or lifted aboard with fork-lift trucks.

Trucks may be constructed so that discharge of integrally-mounted bins is directed toward either side or toward both sides simultaneously as actuated by the truck driver from his cabin by use of appropriate levers or pedals connected through suitable linkages to efiect release of the hinged link locking fingers of the instant invention. To obtain simultaneous discharge on both sides of the truck under control from the drivers cabin, a main ram bar may be mounted centrally and parallel with the fore-and-aft axis of the truck and connected at one end with a suitable lever or pedal arrangement to the cabin. The other end of the main ram bar may be pivotably attached to one end of spreading bars aligned at an obtuse angle, such as 120", to the ram bar and at an obtuse angle, such as 120, to each other and forming a Y-shaped system, and themselves connected to auxiliary ram bars, which are perpendicular to the foreand-aft axis of the truck, in the same generally horizontal plane as the ram bar and spreading bars and in turn connected to sets of trip drawbars on each side of the truck. Both auxiliary and main ram bars should be slideably mounted yet restrained from sidewise motion. Hydraulic power lifting devices may also be combined with these bins to tilt the bins and efiectuate more complete discharge.

:In combination with a side-tilted grade, the principles of the instant invention may be used for self-discharging railroad bins or even for whole boxcars; shock absorbers, however, are desirable to slow the fall of the discharge bin side or, particularly, the boxcar side in order that shock damage may be prevented.

I claim: 1. A side-discharging container for flowable, particulate solids comprising:

(a) a plurality of upright fixed sides and a bottom surface, (b) a hinged discharge side, and (c) detaining and releasing means for said hinged dis charge side that are principally mounted beneath said bottom surface, safely retaining the hinged discharge side in load-retaining position, and are selectively releasable with a high degree of safety to operating personnel, comprising:

(1) a slideable ram bar which is mounted substantially horizontally beneath said bottom surface, having one end accessible from the side 5, of the container opposite to the discharge side;

(2) pivotable trip drawbars which are pivotably attached at one end to each other and to one end of said ram bar, aligned substantially perpendicularly to the ram bar and oppositely to each other when in load-retaining position, and slideably protruding beyond, while pivotably connected to, the bottom border surfaces adjacent to the discharge side;

(3) hinged link locking fingers pivotably attached to the outward sides of the bottom border surfaces adjacent to the discharge side between the hinged discharge side and the protruding ends of said trip drawbars so that the locking fingers are pivota-ble in an are parallel to the bottom border surfaces and are releasably engaged by the protruding ends of the trip drawbars when said locking fingers are horizontally aligned and the trip drawbars are above said locking fingers;

(4) shoulder catchments rigidly attached to the outside of said hinged discharge side near each side edge and a substantial distance above said bottom surface;

(5 flexible holding means of high tensile strength attached to the bottom surface, passing over said shoulder catchments, and releasably engaged by said hinged link locking fingers when the locking fingers are beneath and engaged by the protruding ends of the respectively co-acting trip drawbars;

whereby selective inward movement of the ram bar, from the side of the container opposite to the discharge side, slideably pivots said trip drawbars and withdraws the protruding ends of the drawbars away from the discharge side to pivotably release the locking fingers, re-

. lease said flexible holding means, and permit the hinged discharge side to fall hingeably into load-releasing position.

2. A side-discharge pulpwood log pallet comprising:

(a) substantially horizontal log-supporting bed;

(b) upright log-retaining side members rigidly fastened to said bed;

(c) upright log-retaining side members hingeably attached to said bed on one side of said pulpwood log pallet;

(d) a slideable ram bar attached to said bed horizontally and substantially centrally beneath the bottom stratum of loaded logs;

(e) pivotable trip drawbars, pivotably attached at one end to each other and to one end of said ram bar, which are aligned substantially perpendicularly to the ram bar and oppositely to each other and slideably protrude beyond each side of the log-supporting bed, being pivotally attached thereto;

(f) hinged link locking fingers pivotably attached to the outward sides of the bed between the hinged upright members and the protruding ends of said trip drawbars so that the locking fingers are pivotable is an arc parallel to the bed and are releasably engaged by the protruding ends of the trip drawbars when said locking fingers are horizontally aligned and the trip drawbars are above said locking fingers;

(g) shoulder catchments rigidly attached to the hinged upright side members a substantial distance above said bed and facing to the outside of the pallet, and

(h) flexible holding means of high tensile strength attached to the log-supporting bed, encircling adjacent upright members above the shoulder catchments, and releasably engaged by said locking fingers by penetration of said locking fingers through terminal openings in said holding means when said locking fingers are beneath and engaged by the protruding ends of the respectively co-acting trip drawbars;

whereby a selectively-delivered blow upon the free end of said ram bar slideably pivots said trip drawbars and withdraws the protruding ends of the drawwbars toward the fore-and-aft truck axis to release pivotally the locking fingers, release said encircling chains, and permit the upright side members to fall hingeably into load-discharging position.

3. The side-discharging container of claim 1 wherein said container rests on runners and is removably adapted for transportation upon a vehicle.

4. The side-discharge container of claim 1 having means for mounting upon a vehicle wherein:

(a) the trip drawbars are pivotally attached at one end to each other and to one end of an auxiliary ram bar which is aligned substantially perpendicularly to said trip drawbars;

(b) the auxiliary ram bar is pivotally attached to one end of a spreading bar aligned thereto at an obtuse angle;

(0) the spreading bar is pivotally attached at the other end to a main ram bar which is aligned thereto at an obtuse angle and is mounted centrally and parallel with the fore-and-aft axis of the truck; and

(d) the auxiliary ram bar and the main rarn bar are slideably mounted yet restrained from sidewise motion.

5. The side-discharging container of claim 4 which is operable in combination with a truck and embodies means for actuating the main ram bar from .the drivers cabin.

6. The side-discharging container and truck of claim 5 wherein discharge sides on each side of the container are simultaneously actuated by the main ram bar which is is simultaneously linked to two retaining and releasing mechanisms through opposing spreading bars, auxiliary rams bars, and trip drawbars on each side of the container.

7. The side-discharging container and truck of claim 6 wherein discharge sides on each side of the container are selectively activated from the drivers cabin through linkages to two independent main ram bars.

8. The side-discharge pulpwood log pallet of claim 2 wherein said pallet is mounted upon nunners and is operable in combination with a truck for hauling pulpwood.

9. The side-discharge pulpwood log pallet and truck,

in combination, of claim 8 wherein the pallet rests on rigidly-attached parallel runners that are parallel to the fore-and-aft axis of the truck when the pallet is mounted thereon, said pallet being removable from said truck and capable of being loaded thereupon by means of a truckmounted winch.

No references cited. 

2. A SIDE-DISCHARGE PULPWOOD LOG PALLET COMPRISING: (A) SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL LOG-SUPPORTING BED; (B) UPRIGHT LOG-RETAINING SIDE MEMBERS RIGIDLY FASTENED TO SAID BED; (C) UPRIGHT LOG-RETAINING SIDE MEMBERS HINGEABLY ATTACHED TO SAID BED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID PULPWOOD LOG PALLET; (D) A SLIDEABLE RAM BAR ATTACHED TO SAID BED HORIZONTALLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY BENEATH THE BOTTOM STRATUM OF LOADED LOGS; (E) PIVOTABLE TRIP DRAWBARS, PIVOTABLY ATTACHED AT ONE END TO EACH OTHER AND TO ONE END OF SAID RAM BAR, WHICH RE ALIGNED SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY TO THE RAM BAR AND OPPOSITELY TO EACH OTHER AND SLIDEABLY PROTRUDE BEYOND EACH SIDE OF THE LOG-SUPPORTING BED BEING PIVOTALLY ATTACHED THERETO; (F) HINGED LINK LOCKING FINGERS PIVOTANLY ATTACHED TO THE OUTWARD SIDES OF THE BED BETWEEN THE HINGED UPRIGHT MEMBERS AND THE PROTUDING ENDS OF SAID TRIP DRAWBARS SO THAT THE LOCKING FINGERS ARE PIVOTABLE IS AN ARC PARALLEL TO THE BED AND ARE RELEASABLY ENGAGED BY THE PROTRUDING ENDS OF THE TRIP DRAWBARS WHEN SAID LOCKING FINGERS ARE HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED AND THE TRIP DRAWBARS ARE ABOVE SAID LOCKING FINGERS; (G) SHOULDER CATCHMENTS RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO THE HINGED UPRIGHT SIDE MEMBERS A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE ABOVE SAID BED FACING TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE PALLET, AND (H) FLEXIBLE HOLDING MEANS OF HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH ATTACHED TO THE LOG-SUPPORTING BED, ENCIRCLING ADJACENT UPRIGHT MEMBERS ABOVE THE SHOULDER CATCHMENTS, AND RELEASABLY ENGAGED BY SAID LOCKING FINGERS BY PENETRATION OF SAID LOCKING FINGERS THROUGH TERMINAL OPENINGS IN SAID HOLDING MEANS WHEN SAID LOCKING FINGERS ARE BENEATH AND ENGAGED BY THE PROTRUDING ENDS OF THE RESPECTIVELY CO-ACTING TRIP DRAWBARS; WHEREBY A SELECTIVELY-DELIVERED BLOW UPON THE FREE END OF SAID RAM BAR SLIDEABLY PIVOTS SAID TRIP DRAWBARS AND WITHDRAWS THE PROTRUDING ENDS OF THE DRAWBARS TOWARD THE FORE-AND-AFT TRUCK AXIS TO RELEASE PIVOTALLY THE LOCKING FINGERS, RELEASE SAID ENCIRCLING CHAINS, AND PERMIT THE UPRIGHT SIDE MEMBERS TO FALL HINGEABLY INTO LOAD-DISCHARGING POSITION. 